2023-08-02 19:40:10
The sale of vaping products containing flavor will be prohibited as of October 31 in Quebec.
The Legault government thus confirms, on Wednesday, the adoption of a regulation mentioned last spring.
“This new regulation concerning vaping products aims in particular to protect young people from the harmful and worrying effects of vaping, explains the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, in a press release. It is our responsibility and we will ensure that these substances become less attractive to everyone. »
The government stresses that the consumption of young people in secondary school is on the rise. In 2013, 4% of young people reported having vaped in the last 30 days, according to the Quebec survey on tobacco, alcohol, drugs and gambling among high school students. This proportion increased to 21% in 2019.
The flavors exerted an attraction on young people pushing them towards vaping, judges the spokesperson for the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control, Flory Doucas. “What piques the curiosity of young people, what creates enthusiasm, is in particular the flavours. It’s the idea of being able to share, try, multiply the diversity of flavors. Vaping among young people is a very social phenomenon. We share the devices, we talk about the different flavors. »
The regulations also impose a 20 mg/ml limit on the maximum nicotine strength for all vaping products. It restricts the capacity of tanks and pods to 2ml and the maximum volume of vape liquid refill containers to 30ml. “Certain information” about vaping products and their packaging will also need to be listed.
The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) calls the settlement “a significant step forward in protecting the health of young people”. “We want to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine through electronic cigarettes,” reacts David Raynaud, Senior Manager, Public Interest Advocacy at the CCS.
On the side of the vaping industry, the Association of Representatives of the Vaping Industry accuses the government of resorting to “magical thinking” and evokes “catastrophic consequences”. “Even by abolishing flavours, young Quebecers will continue to thwart the system by obtaining vapers with flavors illegally on the black market or online with prepaid cards”, deplores the director and founder of the association, Daniel Marien.
Ms. Doucas believes, on the contrary, that the regulations will have an effect on the consumption of young people, despite the online black market. She gives the example of flavored cigarillos. “Quebec had been a precursor there too. It was only a few years later that the federal government followed suit, but already in the first year of application, we had seen a decrease in the enthusiasm of young people for small flavored cigarillos. »
In addition to Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Nunavut and the Northwest Territory have also banned flavoring in vaping products. “It is certain that pan-Canadian regulations would be more effective than provincial measures, but we have to start somewhere. »
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